Just Because
by nonethewiser47
Summary: They're in love with other people, but when Natsu and Lucy make a deal during one fateful detention, well, anything can happen.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The sound of shoes pounding against linoleum flooring can almost be soothing—almost, because at certain rates, it can serve as a guaranteed measure of tardiness. A flash of pink accompanied these footsteps as Natsu Dragneel rushed down the hall, aware that the sounds of his footsteps suggested that he was very late indeed. That was the other thing about linoleum flooring: it was loud, as if signaling every teacher in proximity to punish the source of the noise. Of course, Natsu was only worried about one teacher in particular, someone who often took a "hands on" approach to learning. The thought alone caused shivers down Natsu's spine, and he attempted to quicken his pace. Tightly gripping the straps around his shoulders, Natsu rounded a corner, bolting up the stairs so that he was in a perfect position to run through the classroom door; however, for some reason, the boy came to a complete stop, and he stared, as if transfixed, at the sight before him. Of course, this reaction was only natural, because there she was; her presence, as usual, demanded all of Natsu's attention. The girl stood there for a few moments, seemingly aware that the hallway's fluorescent lights gave her an almost angelic glow. Perhaps he was being hopeful, but he couldn't help but notice how her wide, blue eyes lit up as she saw him.

"Natsu," She chirped, "What're you doing?"

"H-hey, Lisanna," He replied, "I'm just—just…"

"Heading to class?" She suggested.

"Yeah, that's it!"

She laughed, "Well, you better hurry up. Mr. Clive will be upset with you if you're late again, and I want him in a good mood for our art project. Maybe he'll actually let us use 'the good stuff' this time."

"What? Eraser board markers on poster board not cutting it?"

"Not even close. I just want to use that tub of fuchsia paint in the art room. It's so pretty, like the perfect color!" She suddenly stopped, "And, I'm sorry. I'm holding you up."

"No, you're fine." Natsu said, following Lisanna up the staircase. He added under his breath, "More than fine."

"What was that?"

"N-nothing. So—uh- what're you doing? I mean, you're usually not late."

"No, I had a dentist appointment," She giggled, tucking her short, white hair behind her ear. "See, I have a doctor's note and everything."

"Doctor's note, huh? I should get me one of those." Natsu said offhandedly, and Lisanna gave a genuine laugh.

"You're so funny, Natsu. I was actually just talking to Mira the other day about the time we were kids and dressed you up like a girl, and you got in a fight with the mailman-"

"Yeah?" Natsu replied hesitantly, desperately hoping she would forget the rest of the story.

"And the dog pulled your skirt down-"

"Uh-huh-"

"Then it dragged you down the street-" She was laughing so hard at this point that the pair physically stopped.

"Yeah, I remember." Natsu groaned, "Mira was one evil babysitter."

"I'm sorry, Natsu," Lisanna said between laughs, "I know that wasn't you're favorite day, but we did have some pretty good times when we were kids, huh?"

"Yeah, we did." Natsu smiled, turning to look directly into Lisanna's eyes. She looked up at him with a smile. This was it, his moment. He knew it! "Lisanna, I-"

"That's why we decided you're an honorary Strauss sister." She said walking towards the classroom.

"I- What?!" Natsu replied, following her down the hall.

"Well, you're more like a brother to me, but Elfman said there could only be one 'man in the house.' You know how he gets, so you're a Strauss sister." She smiled, scampering off into the classroom. Natsu, on the other hand, stood frozen in the doorway.

It might have been several minutes or, more likely, a few, long days before his legs began to work again, and he slowly- painfully made his way to his desk. Fortunately, his tardiness was so commonplace that no one gave him a second glance as he settled in; although, the blonde girl who sat behind him narrowed her eyes in either concern or judgment, but Natsu decided it really didn't matter. He narrowed his eyes in retaliation, and she narrowed her eyes further. As this spectacle continued, Natsu felt a wave of familiarity rush over him, yet at the same time, this recognition was barely there. From what he knew, she was an "exemplary student," and wasn't she supposed to be winning some sort of award? Yeah, he remembered the teachers saying that. If rumors were to be trusted, this girl was also very wealthy; however, despite these few nuances he somehow recalled, Natsu couldn't place her name. What was it? Looney? Loopy? Luigi?

"Lucy! Natsu!" Mr. Clive yelled, and the pair quickly straightened in their seats, "Sorry to interrupt your little game, but why don't you be actual productive members of society and grab the supplies we need for the posters."

This wasn't a question, and the looks on both of the students' faces suggested that they understood this fact. They turned to each other hesitantly before lifting themselves out of their seats. Mr. Clive, seemingly perturbed by their sluggishness in the task, began to slap a heavy book in his hand- An action that prompted Natsu to sprint out of the classroom, and the classroom erupted into giggles. Lucy, on the other hand, simply quickened her pace, trying to avoid Mr. Clive's piercing gaze. She finally allowed herself to release a breath she wasn't aware she was holding as she entered the hallway; however, Natsu was nowhere in sight. Lucy deduced that he was already in the art room; it was that, or he possibly left the school completely. The girl decided she wouldn't be surprised either way. Regardless, she walked to the supply room, only to find it in complete disarray.

"You think this is enough?" A voice asked, slightly startling the blonde and it took her a few moments to make out the slightest bit of pink sticking out of a pile of supplies.

"You're planning on bringing all of this?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Sure, why not?"

"Because we'll need a bulldozer to get it out." Lucy exclaimed, and this response prompted Natsu to drop all of the supplies he was holding, causing an even bigger mess in the room. Lucy's eye's twitched at the sight.

"Hey, what's with you? First you give me weird looks, then my supplies aren't good enough-"

"Wait wait wait! I was not giving you weird looks."

"Yeah… in class… just now—" Natsu explained, " The whole glaring contest thing."

"You started that!"

"What? No way! You started that!" Natsu replied, "I walked into class like usual, and you were just staring at me-"

"I was?" Lucy responded; however, comprehension suddenly dawned on her face, "Oh, that- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare or anything. I was- You were—" The blonde appeared to struggle to find the right words, "You just looked so sad."

Natsu raised his eyebrows at this answer, simply because it was not at all what he had been expecting; that is, no one else had even given the boy a second glance as he walked into the classroom, except for, apparently, this blonde girl. For some reason, this alone gave him a strange feeling; however, after a few moments of silence, Lucy suddenly smiled at him, intensifying this feeling even further.

"Maybe we could bring this all back to class." She said, as she picked items up from the floor, "Shake things up a bit."

Natsu gave her a small smile, "We could even rent a bulldozer."

To his surprise, the blonde actually laughed; a sound that he immediately decided he liked.  
>"Just shovel tons of art supplies into the classroom? Could you imagine Mr. Clive's face?"<p>

"You kids are going to kill me." Natsu said, imitating their teacher's voice.

"Wow, that's actually spot on."

"If there's one thing I do good, it's impressions." Natsu grinned, "Of Gildarts that is—Well, just that one line."

"That's it? That's your whole act? 'You kids are going to kill me.'"

Natsu laughed at Lucy's impersonation of Gildarts, "It comes in handy."

"I'm sure." She smiled, staring absentmindedly at the mess before them, "Hey, why don't we split this up, and then we'll each only do half of the work."

"What?" Natsu replied, slightly taken aback at the sudden change in subject.

"The supplies," She explained, "For class. I'll grab the poster board, scissors, and construction paper. You can get the markers, rulers, and glue. Yeah, we'll need a least twenty-seven of each." She then added, almost too enthusiastically, "You see, dividing the work will result in higher efficiency."

"Yeah, I see," Natsu said uncertainly, scratching the back of his head, "I forgot you're supposed to be really smart or something."

Lucy hesitated slightly before answering, "Or something- Uh—the markers are over there, by the way… By all the paint and stuff."

"Yeah, I know," Natsu replied, confused by her slight change in tone. He easily shrugged this off, however, as he walked to the other side of the room, surveying the area for his assigned supplies. It wasn't long before he had three haphazard piles spread across the floor, adding to the mess, but he figured that this canceled it out somehow. Pleased with his work, Natsu headed towards Lucy, ready to brag for 'beating' her by finishing his work first; however, the ever so subtle glint of an aluminum lid caught his eye. He followed this glare up to the top shelf of a cabinet; there stood a rather large can, opened slightly so that the vivid color of the paint imprinted on the lid stood out against the metal background. And suddenly, it hit Natsu all at once as the image of certain white haired girl entered his mind.

"Hey, fuchsia is like a bright pink color, right?" Natsu called out to Lucy; she looked up from her work in confusion.

"It's kind of more of a purplish red, why—what are you doing?!" She exclaimed as Natsu lifted himself onto the counter top. He reached up to the top shelf, finding that he only grazed the bottom of the paint can.

"Get down from there!" Lucy shouted, pulling on the back of the boy's shirt, "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"I'm just gonna get this." Natsu stated, still straining to reach his target.

"C'mon! We don't need that!"

"I need that!" He said, turning to push her hand away; however, she simply gripped his shirt tighter, so that he was crouching precariously on the ledge.

"This isn't funny!"

"Just let go—Argh!" Natsu exclaimed; the paint can, now halfway off the shelf, suddenly fell altogether, and in what appeared to be slow motion, the paint showered the two students below in the vivid color. At the same time, Natsu, distracted by the spectacle, lost his balance, and he tumbled down onto the blonde, causing the pair to fall down in a heap.

"I—Uhh-" Natsu sputtered out as he looked down at her; her face expressed only shock. As she looked down to see the remains of her ruined uniform, however, this shock was quickly replaced with anger. Natsu, realizing this, attempted to lift himself off of her.

"You…" She said darkly, and a split second later, she tackled him, assaulting him with a series of punches. Fortunately, Natsu dodged those aimed at his face, but after a few minutes, his arms and shoulders were already feeling bruised. Acting quickly, Natsu grabbed her wrists, and he used this momentum to turn her over, effectively pinning her down.

"Get off of me!"

"Calm down-"

"Natsu! Lucy! What's going on here?!" Mr. Clive exclaimed; he looked incredulously at the room covered in fuchsia paint. His eyes widened when they reached the pair of students lying in, what he presumed to be, a compromising position. "Were you two making out?"

"God, no!" Lucy said, taking this moment to free herself and punch Natsu in the stomach. He attempted to grab her wrists again; however, his quickly turned into a rather pathetic slapping of arms.

"Oh, so you were fighting?" Mr. Clive sighed, "That is just so much worse."

"He started it!"

"No, she attacked me!"

"No way-"

"Argh!"

Natsu and Lucy appeared to have forgotten Mr. Clive's presence altogether as they continued to physically and verbally fight with one another, and the teacher watched as they rolled around on the floor, covering themselves completely in the paint. After a few failed attempts to regain their attention, Mr. Clive simply pinched the bridge of his nose, "You kids are going to kill me."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I will be posting the next soon!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own fairy tail.

**AN: Hey, thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! I hope everyone enjoys this one as well :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"I'm so dead." Lucy stated, grabbing the fuchsia roots of her hair in frustration. "Dead. Dead! Dead-"

"It's only detention." A small, blue haired girl assured the blonde, the shade of her hair almost perfectly blending in with the rows of lockers behind her. An orange headband, that the girl wore religiously, served as the only means to differentiate the two. "It's really not a big deal."

"But it was so not my fault, Levy, and my dad—Oh, my dad is going to kill me!"

"I need you to calm down, Lu," Levy said, gently removing the blonde's fingers out of her hair, "You're dad isn't going to find out. You'll be home before he even notices. I mean, he works late, right?"

"Er—right." Lucy replied, taking a deep breath, "It's just—that pink haired idiot—he—I—Ugh!"

Levy listened patiently as her best friend stringed together a series of words and noises together in regards to Natsu; although, this didn't bother her, because this had become the norm since Natsu and Lucy's accident this afternoon.

"And why did he want all that fuchsia paint anyways?!"

"Lu, calm down—"

"Is that how he keeps his hair that color?!"

"Stop! It'll be fine. I've had detention before, and I'm alright." Levy stated, and Lucy finally stopped her ranting to look at her friend.

"Yeah, I forgot about that." She said sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Don't be. I'm telling you: you'll be fine. It's definitely not worth freaking out about."

"You're right," Lucy sighed, "It's just frustrating."

"I know, Lu." Levy assured her, sitting behind Lucy to comb out her wet, fuchsia streaked hair, "You just have to get through two hours."

"More like being punished for what I didn't do—hey what was it you got detention for again?" Lucy asked, "Oh yeah, you tried to take on Gajeel—Ow!"

"I- I'm sorry- You still have some paint clumps in your hair." Levy explained, gently restarting the brushing, but she always acted strangely whenever Gajeel was mentioned. Lucy just assumed it was her extreme dislike for the boy; after all, she was always exchanging weird glances with him, and he had a habit of using the small girl as an armrest; in fact, that was the reason Levy ended up in detention. During some passing period months ago, Gajeel decided to rest his arm on the girl's head, and she responded by going berserk. It took _three_ teachers to pry her off of him.

"That whole Gajeel thing. That was nothing-" Levy began.

"Nothing?! He's twice you're size, and you tried to beat him up. You're bad to the bone."

Levy laughed, "Yep, that's right- that is what happened, but it's nothing anymore—it's nothing."

"Okay," Lucy said simply at her friend's erratic behavior, "Well, at least you two can be in the same room now-"

"Yeah, nothing like a couple hours of detention to open the pearly gates of friendship." Levy said, causing both girls to burst out laughing, "Who knows, maybe your detention will open romantic gates-"

"Levy! No. No. No. No. I need you not to go there." Lucy begged. Levy simply giggled as the bell rang.

"I'm just saying it's possible," The blunette chuckled, "Anyways, I can't miss seventh period. Are you sure you don't want to go to class?"

"With this hair? No, thank you." Lucy stated.

"Okay, call me after schoo—uh—detention." Levy said, giving her friend a quick hug before heading out of the locker room. The blonde sighed, dreading the rest of the day to come.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I have a date tonight, so I'll be back in two hours. Don't burn down the school." Mr. Clive said offhandedly as if this was perfectly normal and expected behavior. Lucy shook her head in disbelief as he rushed out the door. She supposed that now she could actually work on homework since no one was there to enforce the "no activities during detention rule;" although, was that something that was normally enforced? She wasn't sure as Levy hadn't been very clear on the happenings of her own detention. Either way Lucy pulled out her notebook, supposing she had nothing better to do.<p>

The sound of clicking buttons a few seats away narrowed the blonde's focus onto Natsu, who appeared as carefree as ever, much to her aggravation. At Levy's suggestion, Lucy had avoided the boy during school hours this day; although, she was beginning to doubt the validity of the idea as the sound of his texting slowly drove her to the edge. It didn't help that he was so nonchalant about the whole fiasco, giving her a casual nod as he sat down a few minutes ago; it was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. Of course, it had. The paint stains on their uniforms were proof enough; however, Lucy noted angrily that his hair looked perfectly normal. Her own hair, despite multiple washes, was roughly half fuchsia. The thought of this alone made her clench her fists, and she had to remind herself that attacking him would not help her now blemished academic record. Worst of all, was the new rumor that Natsu and Lucy _had_ been hooking up in that supply room. A rumor, Lucy was pretty sure, that was started by Mr. Clive.

Natsu, at this point, could somehow sense Lucy's glowering, and he turned to find her grasping at the roots of her hair. She seemed to be surrounded by a dark aura, and Natsu noted that she was mumbling under her breath. _Classic Looney_, he thought, shaking his head and returning his attention to his phone. A sudden series of slamming sounds forced him to turn back to her, and he found her repeatedly slamming her head against the desk.

"Are you okay—Luigi—"

"Lucy!" She exclaimed, jolting up to glare at him, "My name is Lucy!"

"Uh—Right, sorry."

"Don't 'sorry' me! If you're going to get me stuck in detention, you should at least know my name!" She said, "I—It's common courtesy!"

Now, Natsu knew she was crazy or at least strange; however, as the implications of her words set in, he felt a sudden jolt of anger surge through him. "I got you stuck in detention?! It was the other way around!"

"You spilled paint on me!"

"You attacked me!"

"_You_ attacked me back!"

"I was defending myself! What else was I supposed to do?!" He exclaimed. Sometime during this exchange, Natsu and Lucy had left their seats, and they were now standing, inches apart; their eyes were stuck in a glare. A sudden feeling of déjà vu overcame Lucy, and she looked away from the pink haired boy.

"Yeah—well," She huffed, "My uniforms ruined! And I missed most of my classes today! And if my dad finds out—" Lucy clenched her fists; her voice was edging on hysteric. Then, looking to Natsu, the blonde stuck her finger to his chest, "And you! You! You don't even care! And your hair's pink, and it makes me _so_ mad!"

"Why does that make you mad?!"

"Because you can't see the paint in your hair! And I have to live with this!" She exclaimed, grabbing fistfuls of her hair as if she was presenting unquestionable evidence of his guilt.

"That's what you're mad about?"

"No, I'm mad that you didn't listen to me! I told you to leave it alone!"

"I had to get-"

"No, Natsu, we didn't need it for the supplies-"

"Listen, I just _needed_ to get it!" Natsu said; their faces inches away yet again.

"But you didn't, and that's the worst part! This is all your fault, and you keep acting like you were doing the right thing! We didn't need the paint, Natsu—"

"I had to-"

"No! You didn't-"

"It-was-for-Lisanna-so-she-could-see-I-got-it-for-her-and-then-fall-in-love-with-me!" Natsu spilled out, instantly covering his mouth with his hand, a horrified look on his face. Likewise, Lucy looked at him in complete shock. They stayed like that, completely frozen in place for what felt like days.

"Can we pretend that didn't happen?" Natsu asked hesitantly once he remembered how to breathe.

"Oh, my god. You love Lisanna?" The blonde said, ignoring his previous request completely.

"Shut it—someone will hear you." Natsu said, using his hand to cover her mouth. She easily pushed it aside.

"You do! You love Lisanna!"

"Cut it out already!" He turned to her pleadingly, "Don't tell anyone!"

"This is just too much." Lucy chuckled, casually sitting into her desk. Natsu followed her, sitting backwards in the chair directly in front of the blonde so that he faced her. She looked straight at him, "You can't be serious."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing—It's just," Lucy sighed, "Lisanna is beautiful, smart, and a brilliant artist. You, on the other hand—you can't even make it to class on time."

"Hey, I'm on time sometimes."

"Sure, but do you really think Lisanna wants a guy whose main selling point is 'partially punctual.'"

"That's not my main selling point. I'm—cool- and I can—eat-" Natsu stammered, "I-"

"See, that's my point exactly. Honestly, Natsu, I don't think she'd even take you seriously." Lucy had said this offhandedly, but the lack of response instantly prompted her to look over at the pink haired boy who was now facing away from her. It was then that she saw it: the pained expression and this was followed by her own overwhelming feelings of guilt.

Natsu sounded so small when he responded, "Maybe you're right."

"No, I'm not." Lucy said instantly, and Natsu looked up at her in surprise.

"Lucy, don't—"

"Shut it and listen!" Lucy exclaimed, and once she was sure Natsu wouldn't interrupt her again, she continued, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just…" The girl sighed, but suddenly, she smiled at the pink haired boy, "I mean, you have a lot of selling points, Natsu. Like you can climb on counters really well, and what about your impressions—er—impression? I was personally blown away with that."

Natsu genuinely laughed, looking at the girl curiously. He was surprised; for her rich girl reputation, she was hardly the spoiled brat that one would expect. In fact, this was the second time today that she had tried to cheer him up. Likewise, Lucy had to acknowledge that Natsu actually had serious emotions; something that is easy to overlook when he plays the class clown.

"So—uh, you're not going to tell anyone, right?" Natsu asked after a few minutes of silence.

"What?"

"About Lisanna."

Lucy chuckled, "That all depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you admit the whole paint fiasco was your fault!"

"Are you ever going to let that go?!"

"It just happened a few hours ago!"

"Well, I was just trying to do something nice-"

"You were trying to do something for yourself-" And just like that the pair returned to their argument; although, it had lost most of its' hostility at this point.

"I—Oops-" Natsu said; he had attempted to make a point with gestures, and he had somehow knocked over Lucy's notebook. He groaned, bending over to pick it up, "Sorry, I'll get it. As I was saying, I—Wait- What's this? I heart Gray?"

Natsu said this so nonchalantly he might as well have been talking about the color of the drapes. Lucy, however, instantly turned a deep red; her eyes widening in complete horror, and to make matters worse, she was seemingly unable make any use of her limbs.

"You like Gray?" He asked casually, and he suddenly noticed the blushing and stillness of the blonde. With a mischievous smile, he read more inscriptions in Lucy's notebook.

"Mrs. Fullbuster. Gray X Lucy. Gray is awesome." Natsu laughed, and Lucy, whose body finally started to cooperate, pried the notebook out of Natsu's hands, slapping him in the face with it as she did.

"Oh, my god!" Lucy exclaimed. Her voice was muffled as she buried her face deep into the notebook.

"Aw, c'mon, Lucy. It's not that bad." Natsu assured her; although, Lucy's only response was a few more muffled sounds, "Alright, you're into Gray Fullbuster. That is pretty bad. He's— Well, Gray, and you love him…" He said, as if he was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea.

Lucy muffled something that sounded like 'I thought he was your friend.'

"Eh- Well," Natsu sighed, "It's just— Gray's lame!"

Natsu huffed. It's not that he didn't like Gray, because he did; in fact, they _were _best friends. However, the boys had had a heated rivalry since a young age, and they were fighting, physically or otherwise, more often than not. Gray's habits of randomly stripping out of his clothes and advisement to spicy food didn't do much to help Natsu understand his appeal, especially to the opposite sex.

"Look, he's nice enough," Natsu tried to explain, "But he's such an ice freak—"

Lucy simply made more muffled sounds in response to this.

"And did you know he's a stripper?! Seriously, you're such a weirdo." Natsu exclaimed. Lucy finally pulled her face out of the notebook.

"You're not helping!" She told him, "And I'm not a weirdo!"

"Okay, okay. I'm just saying," Natsu said cautiously, and the blonde glared at him pointedly before burying her face in her hands.

"So what do we do now?" Natsu asked after a few minutes.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, slightly irritated about the whole situation.

"We know each other's secrets. You know, who we like. Shouldn't something happen?"

"Oh, yeah." Lucy said sarcastically, and with a sugary voice she added, "With your help, I can finally make Gray mine. Now all of my dreams can come true."

Natsu narrowed his eyes at the blonde, shaking his head in disapproval at her little act, yet somewhere between this and Lucy exaggeratingly putting her hands over her heart, it clicked.

"Well, why not?" He said simply.

"Why not what?"

"We make Gray yours."

"You have got to be kidding me-"

"Okay, hear me out." Natsu pleaded, "You're good friends with Lisanna, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"And I'm good friends with Gray?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Shh!" Natsu shushed her, and the blonde looked genuinely surprised by this, "I just—I think we can help each other out."

"I'm lost."

"I mean, you can talk about me—to Lisanna- good things. Only good things and you can find out things she likes for me. And I'll talk to Gray about you and stuff too."

"So you're talking a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"Uh—sure. If you mean that I help you, and you help me." Natsu replied, and he gave her a few minutes to let the idea sink in.

"Huh. That actually might be stupid enough to work." Lucy said, dumbfounded, and the more she thought about it the better it sounded. Natsu _was_ Gray's best friend after all, and the last time she actually spoke to the boy was when he borrowed a pencil from her a month ago. What did she really stand to lose from such an arrangement?

Natsu grinned, extending his hand to the blonde, "So you in?"

"What the hell," Lucy said, firmly grabbing his hand, "I'm in."

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><p><strong>AN: There you have it. I will post the next chapter as soon as I can!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here you go:) I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for those who gave feedback. It really helped me to finish this one up.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Lucy stood in the dewy, morning air, her foot tapping impatiently, her eyes struggling to stay open. It was already a long day, or more correctly, it had been a long night. After their detention yesterday, Natsu and Lucy made plans to meet up before school and work out some sort of strategy; however, as each minute passed, it became increasingly apparent that the pink haired male's habit of tardiness would get in the way of this plan. Her mood wasn't helped by the assault of text messages Natsu sent her throughout most of last night, and these messages varied from questions regarding Lisanna to funny pictures he found on the internet. It wasn't until 3AM that Lucy finally had enough sense to turn her phone off completely, and by then, she had lost the ability to fall asleep. She buried her face in her hands, feeling overwhelmingly exhausted and mentally cursing Natsu for her current state of being.

"Hey, Lucy!" A familiar voice greeted her enthusiastically, and Lucy's head shot up to face him.

"Natsu?! Where have you been? I've been waiting here for like- twenty minutes!"

"Well, you see, I was up late texting you and I overslept. And you didn't respond to any my texts this morning. And then I couldn't find my shoe. And then-"

"That's enough," Lucy sighed, "Look, class is going to start soon," She absentmindedly scanned Natsu's attire, "And we still have a lot of work to do."

"What? Is something wrong with my clothes?"

"No—it's just," She looked him over once again, noticing his untucked shirt, his carelessly rolled up sleeves and what was going on with that scarf? She huffed, "Just come with me."

Lucy forcefully led the boy into a nearby janitor's closet, double checking that no one was in the vicinity, lest they get the wrong idea.

"Uh- what exactly are we doing?" Natsu asked as the blonde closed the door behind him.

"I just—We have to fix your look-"

"What's wrong with my look?!"

"It's a mess!" She exclaimed. Natsu was about to protest this, but Lucy interrupted him, "You said you wanted my help. You said you'd do what I said. Now, are you going to keep fighting me?!"

"But-"

"Natsu!"

"Fine." Natsu finally responded after a few moments of silence, "Do your worst."

Lucy sighed, "Okay, let's start with your hair-"

"My hair?! What's wrong with that? Is it the color?" Natsu asked, grabbing the ends of his pink hair.

"No, it's not the color—it's all over the place." She commented, using her hand to smooth it back.

"So, how does it look now?" Natsu asked when she was finished, and to be honest, he looked like a crime boss. Lucy quickly ruffled his hair into it's usual spikiness.

"Never mind, this is better. What about your tie?"

"What about it?"

"You're not wearing one!" Lucy groaned, "Can't you a least get rid of the scarf-"

"No-"

"Natsu-"

"The scarf stays." He said darkly, and Lucy wisely chose to leave that be.

"Fine, we can make that work somehow. Alright, now you're shirt."

"Really? My shirt?" Natsu asked as if she was asking the world of him. He quickly stripped it off, throwing it to the floor as Lucy watched horrified. She screamed, immediately grabbing the shirt off of the floor.

"Natsu!" Lucy bellowed, covering her eyes and pushing the shirt into his chest, "Put it back on!"

"I thought we had to change it-"

"There's nothing to change it with!" She exclaimed; her face a deep red. Natsu shrugged as he began to put his shirt back on; however, much to her irritation, Lucy noticed that he was buttoning it up lopsided, and she immediately pushed his hand away. Natsu watched on awkwardly as she buttoned his shirt for him.

"So—uh—what about your look?" Natsu asked hesitantly. The blonde's eyes narrowed.

"What about it?"

"Well, nothing. Just—uh—" The boy roughly pulled out her hair ribbon.

"Ow!" Lucy exclaimed as her hair cascaded around her face, and she roughly slapped Natsu's chest.

"Hey, it looks better this way-"

The blonde suddenly stopped, grabbing fistfuls of her hair, "Really? Down? You think?"

"Yeah." He said simply, and Lucy blushed, quietly returning to buttoning his shirt. The pair looked away from another; although, this didn't last very long as the door suddenly slammed open.

"What's going on here? Someone said there was a scream—" A redhead girl, taking in the scene, looked at them in shock, "Natsu?! Lucy?!"

"Erza!" They both exclaimed, looking at their menacing friend in fright, a black haired male popped out behind her.

"Gajeel?!"

"Well, isn't this interesting." He said gleefully.

* * *

><p>The moments that followed were painfully long. Erza insisted on punishing Natsu physically, and she gave Lucy a lengthy talk about sex which the blonde found absolutely terrifying. As if this wasn't enough, Gajeel told whoever was in radius the news, and this resulted in a haphazard group of classmates, many close friends of either Natsu or Lucy, confronting the pair in the school courtyard during lunch.<p>

"I am very disappointed in both of you." Erza said for what must have been the hundredth time, "What you're doing is very irresponsible."

"It's not what you think." A now, fully clothed Natsu groaned, gently rubbing his shiny, new black eye: a present from Erza.

"I know what I saw, salamander." Gajeel chuckled.

"Shut it, metal breath!" Natsu left his spot to argue with the black haired boy. Lucy took a deep breath, trying not to rip her hair out in frustration.

"Lu, when I said that detention might open the gates of romance, I was kidding." Levy said, looking extremely concerned for her friend, "I mean, you hated him yesterday, isn't this rushing things."

"I'm privy to agree, Lucy. These are not the sorts of things to rush into." Erza added, and a tall, blue haired boy, Jellal, nodded his agreement.

"Nothing happened!" Lucy exclaimed, "How many times do I have to say it?!"

"A couple hundred more times." Lisanna suggested, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Erza explained, "She's right. You haven't given us any explanation regarding your activities with Natsu in the janitor's closet that required you to be fiddling with his half open shirt-"

"I can think of a few reasons," Gajeel laughed, dodging Natsu's punches.

"This is so stupid," Natsu exclaimed, "I know it looks pretty bad, but you can take my word for it. Nothing happened."

"I trust you about as far as I can throw you." A raven haired boy added, and Lucy's stomach went into knots at the sound of his voice.

"No one asked you, Gray!" Natsu said.

"You wanna go, flame brain."

"Bring it on, ice freak!"

"I'll get in on this." Gajeel grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Enough!" Erza commanded, and everyone immediately stopped and turned to her, "We are not here to fight one another. We are here to intervene in our friend's, Natsu and Lucy's, irresponsible behavior-"

"Okay, that's enough!" Lucy exclaimed, "There's a perfectly logical explanation for all this."

"And that is?" Gray asked her, and she immediately lost track of her thoughts.

"It's—Uh—I-"

"Lucy's gaining weight." Natsu deadpanned, much to the collective shock of the group.

Lucy looked horrified, "Natsu?!"

"Uh- Her shirt's too tight, and she was gonna trade shirts with me?" He said hesitantly. All at once, everyone's gaze turned to Lucy's shirt, which may have been a bit tight, but that was mainly due to her naturally large chest as opposed to any weight problem. She instantly crossed her arms over her chest and marched right up to Natsu.

"How about this everyone?! Natsu's so stupid, he couldn't figure out how to put a shirt on without help!" Lucy yelled, and Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, well—Lucy's crazy! She just started yelling at me and taking off my clothes. I think her eyes rolled back-"

"No way! Natsu has some weird rash! I think he might have an STD-"

Natsu gasped, "Lucy's a witch! She was gonna use my shirt for some creepy spell!"

"Those two are ridiculous." Gray commented, and a nearby Lisanna nodded in agreement; all the while, this argument continued, and the claims became increasingly outlandish, including Lucy as an evil, alternate version of herself and Natsu as part of a strange cult that needed female sacrifices. Their friends watched on, mildly entertained by the spectacle, yet they slowly dispersed as they realized that they weren't going to get anywhere with the pair.

"Well, Lucy—"

"That's enough, Natsu!" The blonde exclaimed, taking deep breathes. She had suddenly realized that their friends had left, and immediately, the feelings of shame and guilt sunk in, "We did it. We ruined everything."

Natsu, who was still riled up, simply looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"

"Gray. Lisanna. They just watched us go at for-" She looked at her watch, "Thirty minutes!" She exhaled, dropping down on the bench behind her, "They must think we're insane."

Natsu considered this, and groaned at the realization, "You said I was born a girl."

"Yeah, well you said I was getting fat." Lucy snapped.

"You said I had flesh eating bacteria!"

"Stop!" Lucy exclaimed, putting her hands up in defense, "I don't want to do this again! We were so stupid to think that this had any chance of working! I—I acted crazy. Again. _You_ make me crazy! I can't even understand how you do it! I mean, I don't want to be that person-" She paused to take a deep breath, and her voice calmed, "But this is my fault. _I_ should have known better. A secret deal in the shadows of detention isn't going to make Gray suddenly like me, and why would he? I'm either yelling at his best friend or butchering any sentence I speak to him or just being- Lucy. I don't know. Why would _anyone_ want to get involved in this mess— with me? I'm-" The shadow of the word got stuck in her throat: _hopeless_.

Natsu didn't respond to this; instead, he simply stared at the blonde, his face unreadable. The pair remained silent this way for several long minutes, until Natsu turned and walked away, leaving behind an incredulous Lucy.

"I guess that's the end of our little arrangement!" Lucy called after him, mentally cursing herself for being so stupid.

* * *

><p>The rest of the school day passed in almost a blur. Lucy sighed in relief, glad that it was over. She had continued to avoid her friends for the remainder of the day, and it was exhausting work. The blonde simply wanted to spend some time to collect herself before facing their assault of questions, and her mind, one again, wandered to possible cover stories for the whole scenario; although, she wondered why she should even bother now. After all, her deal with Natsu was over.<p>

"Lucy!" A voice called to her as she walked through the school gates. The girl turned at the sound, and she found herself facing Gray. After the scene she made earlier, the girl had half a mind to run away completely; however, his eyes caught hers, and she stood frozen in her spot as he walked up to her, "I've been looking for you."

"You've—what? Me?" Lucy asked, her speech becoming the disjointed words and sentences that so often happened when he was around.

"Yeah," Gray smiled, "Natsu told me everything."

"H-he did?" She asked. Boy, was she going to kill that pink haired-

"I just wanted to say that I think what you're doing is pretty cool."

"What?" Now Lucy knew something was wrong.

"I mean, helping Natsu out like that, and I _know_ he can be a pain."

"Uh-huh." Lucy said skeptically, and Gray seemed to notice this, putting a reassuring arm on her shoulder. An action that made the girl scream internally. She decided hen that she could care less what they were actually talking about.

"Lucy, it's okay. Natsu already told me." The boy said, and at Lucy's continued look of confusion he added, "You're tutoring him."

"Tutoring?"

"I know you promised him not to tell, but he already told me – everyone, actually. And we kind of all feel like jerks for jumping down your throats," Gray explained, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, "I mean, it makes sense. You're the smartest person in our grade. If anyone can bring up that idiot's grades, it's you, and bringing him up to dress code? It's about time that happened."

Lucy didn't respond to this, simply staring at the raven haired boy; her eyes wide, and the full impact of what Natsu had done hit her. He had went out of his way to make it clear that nothing happened between them, and in a way that made her look good. But why would he…

Gray smiled at the blonde, "Yeah, well, I just wanted to say that you keeping his secret, even with everyone giving you guys a hard time—that was really cool of you."

"Thanks," She smiled, suddenly feeling more confident, and as Gray started to walk away, she added hopefully, "I'll see you around?"

"I hope so." He replied, and Lucy's heart fluttered.

* * *

><p>Once again, Lucy stood in the dewy, morning air, patiently awaiting the arrival of Natsu; although, she doubted he would be here any time soon as he didn't even know she was waiting for him. The pair hadn't spoken since their exchange in the courtyard the day before, but Lucy felt obligated to say something—anything to the pink haired boy, especially after he had gone so out of his way to clear up that whole misunderstanding with the janitor's closet. She chuckled at the thought; it had already become a distant memory. Suddenly, that familiar head of pink hair walked through the school gates, yet that was all that was recognizable. Lucy didn't even have time to be surprised that he came to class early. He was wearing his blazer—actually wearing it, and his shirt was tucked in. He still left out his tie, keeping the top few buttons of his shirt undone, and he wore his white scarf loosely around his neck. Yet somehow, it suited him.<p>

Lucy instantly ran over to him, "Hey, you!"

"Oh, hey." Natsu smiled as she approached him, "I thought you'd be here early."

"Well, yeah." She replied, still looking at him in disbelief.

"And you hair." The boy smiled, noticing that she had worn it down.

"It's nothing," She said dismissively, running a hand through it, and she instantly gestured to his clothes, "What's all this?"

"Oh, that's the thing," Natsu explained awkwardly, "I know I kind of got carried away yesterday- and I know you were just trying to help—so I thought I could—I wanted to—Maybe Lisanna—Ugh-" He face palmed.

"Thank you, Natsu," Lucy said gently, putting her hand on his shoulder, "For everything."

He gave her a huge grin, "So is the deal still on then?"

"Fo sho!" Lucy exclaimed, and Natsu chuckled at this.

"Natsu!" A sweet voice interrupted them, and at the sight of the white haired girl, Natsu froze.

"Hi, Lisanna," Lucy greeted her, elbowing Natsu in the side to do the same.

"H-hi."

"Hey, guys," The white haired girl smiled then she turned her attention to Natsu, "Wow, look at you."

"T-thanks," He managed to say thanks to another elbow from Lucy.

"Lucy, you got him to do this, right? I heard you're supposed to bring him up to dress code along with the tutoring." Lisanna asked the blonde.

"Uh—yeah, that's it." Lucy replied, then seeing her opportunity, added, "Doesn't he look nice?"

"He looks great! Good job, Lucy!" Lisanna exclaimed, lightly squeezing Natsu's arm, and Lucy happily noticed him blush. The blonde gave Lisanna a thumbs up as the white haired girl walked into the academic building. Once she was out of sight, Lucy turned to Natsu excitedly, and he instantly grabbed her arms and started enthusiastically jumping up and down.

"It's working! It's working!" Natsu exclaimed, and Lucy couldn't help smile. Maybe they weren't so hopeless after all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Let me know what you think! School starts for me Monday, so I'll try to get the next chapter out as quickly as I can.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Big thanks to those who reviewed and everything. You guys are AWESOME!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

Natsu had always assumed that asking a girl out would be simple; however, according to Lucy, there was more to it than 'just asking her!' The _way_ he would ask her apparently mattered, and the blonde further insisted that intricacies such as body language could make a difference in Lisanna's response. This was all much too complicated for Natsu, so Lucy ended up reviewing all they had gone over the night before in the ten minutes between classes; it hardly felt like enough time, but the pair had to work with what they had.

"Stay still." Lucy asserted as they walked down the hall, reaching over to adjust the collar of his shirt; the pink haired boy immediately swatted her hand way,

"C'mon, Lucy. She already thinks I look nice-"

The blonde gave him a critical glance, "She said that weeks ago, and I'm just making some last minute adjustments. If you would stop moving-"

"Ah—you're choking me-" Natsu sputtered, grabbing her hands, so that she would release her grip on his scarf. The blonde, as if just realizing what she was doing, immediately started laughing at the look on Natsu's face, and she slowly pried her hands out of his grasp.

"I'm sorry. You do- You look good enough." She chuckled as the pink haired boy now adjusted his own uniform, narrowing his eyes at the blonde.

"Yeah, _now_ I look good enough, now that we've tried to kill me."

Lucy waved her hand dismissively, "Look, there's not much time left. I mean, you want to focus on asking out Lisanna, right?"

"You were the one focusing on other things." Natsu mumbled under his breath, but a warning glance from Lucy prompted him to add, "Right!"

"Okay," She said enthusiastically, "Make sure to be polite! And compliment her!"

"Compliment her?" He said as if this were a foreign concept, "Should I start with that or just throw it in somewhere?"

"_Don't_ just throw it in somewhere. Maybe start with that. Yeah! Like, 'hey, your hair looks nice today,' or 'your eyes are beautiful,' or 'your lips are really full'—Actually, don't say that last one."

"O-okay!" Natsu exclaimed; although, the blonde observed that he appeared genuinely confused. She decided that they'd return to the topic later. Suddenly, Natsu froze, and the blonde turned to see that familiar redhead standing before them. Lucy, thinking quickly, immediately switched to giving him tips regarding geometry, and she noticed that Natsu's expression of confusion was now oddly fitting.

"Hello, Natsu. Lucy." Erza greeted them, nodding her approval; the redhead noted that it was becoming increasingly rare to see either of them without the other, and she casually walked into an empty classroom, closing the door behind her. Lucy watched this, looking in the general direction in confusion, but she quickly chocked it up to class presidential duties, continuing on her way to class.

"Alright, so be polite." She said, returning her attention to Natsu, "Compliment. Eye contact— Make sure there's enough, but not too much."

"So like this?" Natsu asked, looking at Lucy then looking away from her repeatedly; it was so awkward, they both started laughing.

"No, not like that." Lucy chuckled, grabbing Natsu so he stood right in front of her. She looked directly into his eyes for a few moments before slowly looking away, "A little like this."

"Oh, that's good."

"I know! I-"

"Hey, Lucy," A girl with long, black hair suddenly called out, interrupting the pair; her voice dripped in venom, "I thought I heard you found a boy toy to give you attention since your daddy won't even look at you."

"That's interesting, Minerva. I heard you finally got over your intimacy issues, but it only took eight guys, right?" Lucy snapped back. The dark haired girl glared daggers at the blonde before storming off.

"Damn, Lucy." Natsu said, looking at the blonde approvingly, "You can be a pretty scary."

"Yeah, well," Lucy shrugged; however, for the rest of the break, she appeared to be rather distracted, so that by the time the bell rang, Natsu felt as unprepared as ever. He desperately wished for another ten minutes.

"You got this, Natsu." Lucy said as they reached her classroom door.

"Yeah, thanks." He replied unenthusiastically.

"Hey," The blonde said seriously, and she looked directly into his eyes, "It's do or die, right? And you always seem to make it work in these kind of situations. Plus, we've been rehearsing _all_ day."

"Yeah, you're right." He sighed, "You know, maybe if I asked her out in some sort of life threatening situation, I wouldn't be so nervous."

Lucy laughed, "You have this whole romance thing down."

"That's what I've been telling you." He grinned, and Lucy shook her head, still chuckling as she patted him lightly on the shoulder.

"I have to go to class, but I'll see you later." She suddenly stopped as she stood in the doorway, pointing directly at Natsu, "Try not to kill Lisanna while you're asking her out."

"Well, I'd like her alive for our date." He said casually, and Lucy stifled a laugh as she walked into her classroom.

Several, long moments later, Natsu stood outside the door to his own classroom, hyperaware of Lisanna's presence there, and he felt his stomach knot at the thought. Suddenly, he remembered what Lucy had said about making it work, and he supposed she was right. He was, after all, impulsive, reckless, and able to think on his feet; however, none of this ever seemed to apply to Lisanna. With her, Natsu overthought everything he said, and he sometimes found that he had difficulty speaking about relatively simple topics, such as the weather. For some reason, he felt that it should all be easier, but he immediately disregarded the thought. Hesitantly, Natsu turned the doorknob, and he was greeted by the usual, boisterous classroom. Lisanna was already there, of course, standing a few feet away, and without another thought, he walked right up to her.

"Hi, Natsu!" Lisanna greeted him, "Still looking spiffy I see."

The pink haired boy blushed, "Yeah—I—Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

"Yeah, sure." Lisanna replied, looking slightly confused, "What about?"

Instead of answering, Natsu awkwardly led the girl to a quiet corner of the room, so that they would not be overheard. As he did this, he desperately tried to remember anything Lucy told him, and his mind raced with information regarding body language, facial expressions, tone, compliments-

"So, uh—you're eyes are full." Natsu said when they finally reached their destination.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing. Nothing." Natsu replied, having completely lost the ability to compliment someone. "I—Uh-"

"Are you okay?" Lisanna asked with concern, "You look like you might be coming down with something."

"I'm fine," He replied, "I j-just wanted to… uh-"

"Natsu, I have to get back-"

"Wouldyouliketowatchamovietongiht?" He blurted out finally, and the white haired girl raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Would y-you like to watch a movie tonight?"

"Tonight?" Lisanna frowned, "On a Thursday?"

"Well, it's one day away from Friday." Natsu said, causing the girl to laugh.

"You're right. That does sound nice" She responded, and the pink haired boy sighed in relief. Suddenly, she added, "Oh, did you want to get the whole gang together? Because that would be great! It's so crazy that we've never hung out before."

Natsu looked at her in confusion, "The whole gang?"

"Yeah, like you, Lucy, Erza, Gray—you know, those people. It'll be so fun! What movie did you want to watch?"

He told her almost mechanically, staring emptily at the space before him, "The Tale of Hisui. At 6:30."

"Oh, I've been wanting to watch that!" She said enthusiastically, and the pink haired boy gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Yeah, I know."

"Awesome! I'll let everyone know. You don't have to worry about a thing, okay?"

Lisanna looked so pleased with her idea that Natsu didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise, "Okay."

After that, Natsu couldn't focus on class; in fact, he couldn't focus on anything at all, and by the time he had cleared his mind, the boy found that the classroom was completely empty. He looked up at the clock, seeing that it read 4:30PM. Class had already been out for an entire hour, and Natsu lazily slumped out of his seat; groaning that he had left his backpack in homeroom and now had to walk all he way there before leaving. Of course, it was only a few halls over, and the pink haired boy soon ambled into the empty classroom. He picked up his pace once he saw his bag on the other side of the room, excited that he could finally go home; however, the sounds of sniffling focused his attention on the girl sitting on the floor.

"Lucy?!" He exclaimed, and at this, the girl finally seemed to notice him, standing to her feet and subtly wiping her eyes.

"Oh, hey," She smiled, acting as if nothing was wrong. This façade quickly faded, however, and she dropped to the floor once more, covering her face with her hands. Natsu immediately took a step towards her.

"Hey, what's-"

"Just go!" She demanded, avoiding his concerned glances, "Leave!"

Natsu stared at the blonde awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. His eyes quickly darted to his backpack a few desks away, and he supposed she did tell him to leave. However, as his eyes fell back on the blonde in front of him, he felt of pang of something, and this feeling compelled him to stay. He sighed, seating himself next to the blonde and leaning his back against the wall.

"I'm involved now. I can't leave." He said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Lucy shook her head, "You're such an idiot."

"I'm a lot of things." Natsu said simply, and the blonde laughed despite herself.

"So what's wrong?" He asked her, "You fail a test or something?"

"O-or something." She replied shakily.

"Luce," Natsu said gently, lightly patting her back, and with this simple gesture, the blonde started sobbing.

"I-I'm sorry."

"Why're you apologizing?" Natsu asked her, "You got nothing to be sorry about."

"You j-just got stuck with me—"

"I'm not stuck with you, Luce." He told her, and for some reason, this made her cry harder.

"I- I don't know why I'm crying like this. I'm sorry!" She said between sobs, "I was—It's just—Minerva-"

"Minerva?" His eyes narrowed, "Is this about what she said earlier?"

"No! Y-yes. No! I don't know. I mean, it's not just that. I saw her after school and—And it's like she knows exactly what to say to…" The blonde said, and she had a far off look on her face. Natsu, noticing this, simply patted her on the back reassuringly.

"So, what're you gonna do about it?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Huh?" Lucy looked up at him in confusion.

"Well, I've known you a while. Not long but a while, and you don't seem like the type to take things lying down."

"I do?"

"Yep." He said, and the blonde smiled, considering this, but as she realized the reality of the situation, she immediately shook her head.

"But I can't do anything. Her dad's in business with my dad, and _my_ dad would kill me if I ruined one of his 'business relationships.' I mean—What could I do?"

"Well," Natsu nodded, "I got an idea."

* * *

><p>The sound of something splattering against a window filled the empty street, and Lucy stood, transfixed at the sight. This sound occurred once again, and the blonde turned to Natsu as if to say 'are you sure?' He responded with a grin, and carefully, he placed an egg in her hand. After a two hour hiatus at a fast food restaurant, the pair had spent their entire night going from convenience store to convenience store, grabbing a few cartons of eggs from each as to not raise any suspicion, and here they were, hours later, standing in front of Minerva's house.<p>

"C'mon!" Natsu urged her, "You can do this!"

Lucy stared at the egg in her hand with distrust, but Natsu's continued urging finally forced her to extend her arm and launch the egg towards the house. However, the egg only made it about halfway before falling pathetically on the lawn. Natsu burst out laughing at this, and even Lucy gave a begrudging smile.

"So lame." He chuckled, and the blonde's eyes narrowed.

"Because you're such an expert!"

"Just watch." He said proudly, throwing an egg, and as it hit the window, he confidently turned to the blonde, giving her an expectant look. Lucy sighed, awkwardly tossing another egg; however, this one barely passed the mailbox, and the blonde huffed in frustration.

"Here let me show you." Natsu grinned, and placing another egg in her hand, he stepped behind her, positioning her body so it aligned with his. Then, grabbing the back of her hand, he guided her arm in several, slow throws.

"Just like this." He said, his breath hitting Lucy's ear. She felt a chill run down her spine but quickly shook it off, stepping out of Natsu's grip.

"I think I got it." She smiled and turned towards the house. Using the form Natsu just showed her, she threw the egg, and a few seconds later, they both watched as it hit the middle of the front door.

"I did it!" She exclaimed, doing some sort of strange, victory dance.

"Yeah, you did!" Natsu laughed, watching as the blonde successfully launched another egg towards the house. She turned to him, signaling for him to join her, and soon, the pair launched carton after carton at the house. They became increasingly creative as they did this. Lucy, at one point, successfully launched an entire carton at the house in one throw, and Natsu somehow managed to hit doorway from the lawn across the street, even Lucy had to applaud him for that one.

"Alright, watch this," He grinned, extending his arm back as far as he could before he threw the egg, and as this happened, a window on the second floor suddenly opened.

"What's going—ah!" Minerva screamed as the egg hit her squarely in the face. Natsu turned to Lucy, stifling a laugh, and the blonde gave him a warning look. Suddenly, the sprinklers went off as Minerva shouted obscenities at the pair, and Lucy, unable to contain herself, burst out laughing.

"Scatter!" Natsu yelled, running off the lawn, and Lucy followed closely behind, now laughing hysterically. She even picked up a few empty egg cartons before Natsu pulled her away, causing her to drop them haphazardly on the grass.

"Oh, my god!" Lucy exclaimed as they rounded a corner a few blocks away, "I can't believe we did that!"

"Yeah," Natsu panted, looking up at her to grin, "You were great!"

"Thanks," She smiled, jumping in place, "That was just so awesome!"

Natsu chuckled and then shivered slightly, "Too bad we're soaked now."

"You know, I actually live a few streets over," Lucy said, hardly believing the words coming out of her mouth, "You can dry off there if you like."

"Are you sure? I mean, your parents won't be mad that you're bringing a guy over this late?"

"First off, you're not a 'guy.' You're just Natsu-"

"Gee, thanks."

"No, not like that. I mean, you're like an impartial third party in my love life not an actual component."

"I was just asking about your parents, not if I was a 'component in your love life.'" He said mockingly.

Lucy rolled her eyes, "It's fine. My dad's out on business. You can just dry off and go home."

"Alright, cool." Natsu nodded.

"What about you? You're parents aren't worried about _you_ being out so late?"

"Nah." He said simply, and they left it at that.

A short while later, the pair stood in front of Lucy's house, and Natsu immediately realized the rumors of her wealth were true. As he walked through the ornate entryway, however, the pink haired boy couldn't help but notice that the house had a certain feeling of emptiness, and he wondered if I had something to do with Lucy being alone here while her father was 'on business.'

"Nice place." Natsu said awkwardly, examining the simple couch; a nightstand, next to it, held a clock, signaling that it was already 12:30AM.

"Yeah, it gets me by. You know," She replied, turning to examine the boy's clothes, "You're pretty soaked. Wait just a second!" She exclaimed, and she returned a few moments later, carrying a bundle of fabric in her arms. She passed these over to Natsu, "These are my dad's old clothes. The bathroom's down the hall if you want to change."

"Oh, thanks! Eh—you sure your dad won't mind about this? I don't want to get you in trouble."

"No, no. Like I said, he's away on business, so its fine." Lucy said offhandedly as she walked into, what was presumably, her bedroom, and Natsu merely shrugged, walking down the hall to change. He noted, as he walked in, that the bathroom appeared a little too clean, as if it hadn't been used for a long while, but he didn't contemplate this for too long, throwing on the clothes that Lucy lent him. Unfortunately, they were a few sizes too big, hanging loosely off his body, and as he walked back into the living room, Lucy laughed at the sight of him. Natsu disregarded this, lying beside Lucy on the couch as she adjusted her pajama pants.

"You look like a little kid." She chuckled.

"Well," Natsu shrugged as if it didn't matter and then turning to her seriously, he added, "Thanks for the dry clothes, Luce."

"Don't worry about it," She smiled, unsure of what to say next. The blonde was simply not used to having company over, "Do you—uh-Want something to drink?"

"I'm good." He yawned, stretching on the couch so that his legs extended over Lucy's. She pushed them off of her, shaking her head at him as she walked into the kitchen.

"You know how to make yourself comfortable." She commented, pouring herself a glass of water, and as she did this, she decided to pour one for Natsu as well, figuring he'd annoy her for one later anyways.

"It's a talent." She heard him reply lazily.

"I can see that." She said as she walked into the living room, stopping immediately at the sight before her. That is, Natsu was already sound asleep, sprawled across the couch, and Lucy chuckled. He _really_ did know how to make himself comfortable. Setting down the glasses, the blonde gently placed a blanket over him, noticing how peaceful he looked—not at all like his usual boisterous self.

"Good night, Natsu." Lucy said softly as she turned out the lights, walking into her own bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Again, I'm starting out my semester, so I'll update ASAP. Anyways, let me know what you think:)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

There are morning people, and then there's everybody else. These people—logical people understand that the earliest parts of the day were not meant to be filled with activities such as 'getting ready for school' or 'going to school' or 'oh, god, I'm at school.' True morning people, on the other hand, live in a sort of godless vacuum that compels them to convert others into morning people; however, these attempts rarely work, so they have to be content with flaunting their their sheer morning giddiness. This, in turn, attracts more morning people to also rub it in your face; just in case you weren't sure that they started their day before you did.

Lucy was, by all accounts, a morning person. She enjoyed starting her day early, because the extra time often allowed her more time to study before class; in fact, she was already in her school uniform, ready to start her day. The problem was, however, the evidently not morning person on her couch. Natsu, obviously, fit into the other category, and to him, sleeping in was a sacred act, one that must not be disturbed. Lucy, however, as a morning person, did not understand this, so it should be no surprise that she roughly awoke the boy far earlier than he would have liked.

Her hands, firmly gripping each of his shoulders, roughly jostled the boy until his eyes snapped open. Dazedly, he looked into her own dark eyes, trying to make any sense of the situation; however, Natsu only knew that he wanted this shaking to stop. His hands quickly moved to Lucy's wrists, effectively stopping the shaking, and she looked at him with what may have been surprise.

"I'm up—stop—please." He said lazily, and he could feel her arms physically relax until finally releasing their hold altogether. Natsu groggily rubbed his eyes, blinking as the bright morning light peeked through the curtains, and he realized that he must have spent the night here. He also realized that Lucy was still watching him, an expectant look in her eyes.

"Let's go!" She said with a tone that was much too cheery for the morning; at least, Natsu thought so, "Come on!"

"Okay, okay," Natsu said groggily, slowly sitting himself up, "Wha—Lucy, it's only 7AM!"

Lucy's eye twitched in annoyance; however, she kept her cheery persona, "Exactly, so get ready!"

"But we still have a whole _entire_ hour." He whined, lying back down to resume sleeping, and suddenly, Lucy's cheery demeanor was replaced with one of anger; a change morning people are prone to, and she roughly grabbed the front of his shirt.

"No way!" She exclaimed, "You are not sleeping here ever again, got it?!"

"But what if-"

"No! Now quit the lost puppy dog routine and go change! Then we can leave and pretend this little sleepover never happened." She huffed, pushing him in the direction of the bathroom. He awkwardly stumbled a few feet before turning to the blonde.

"How about I sleep _only_ a few more minutes—"

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, and grabbing the back of his shirt, she literally dragged him into the bathroom, "Now get ready! You're not going to ruin my perfect attendance record!"

Natsu groaned as the blonde slammed the door behind her, wondering how she could be so energetic at this early hour; it really was terribly inconvenient for someone who enjoyed sleeping in, and he had half a mind to fall asleep right there on the floor. A sudden banging on the door, however, prompted him to lazily lift himself up and walk over to his uniform. He only hoped that it had dried, because nothing's quite as disheartening as having to wear damp clothing, especially this early in the morning. He was surprised to find it, not only dry, but neatly folded on the counter. _When did she…_ Natsu shook his head; it was too confusing to think about, and morning people were such an enigma as it was.

A few minutes later, Natsu exited the bathroom, fully dressed and looking extremely exhausted. Lucy, who had been waiting outside the door to chastise him if necessary, examined his outfit and expression; she appeared to nod her approval at both, much to his annoyance. Behind Lucy, a large portrait of herself wore the same look, and Natsu felt temporarily disarmed as he realized that the portrait wasn't of Lucy at all. Sure, they were nearly identical; however, the woman in the portrait appeared to be a bit older than Lucy, and she had a certain regalness that Natsu knew the blonde incapable of. It was like looking at a picture of a picture of somebody you knew; all the right elements were there, but something about it felt unfamiliar and far away.

Natsu awkwardly looked back and forth between the two, opening his mouth to ask the question but immediately stopping himself. After all, she never brought up her mother before, and wasn't that strange? The blonde, noticing this, looked behind her skeptically, sighing at the realization.

"Yeah, that's my mom." She said softly, transfixed on the portrait. Natsu reached his hand out for a moment to comfort the girl but thought better of it. Instead, he turned his attention to the portrait as well, giving the blonde a sidelong glance as he did; she really did resemble her mother. There was the blonde hair, of course, and the large, brown eyes and the way her eyes crinkled like Lucy's when she smiled—really smiled. Natsu also noticed a gold chain with a single star charm; something he instantly decided suited her.

He suddenly turned to look at the blonde directly, "She seems nice."

"She was." Lucy said, and her voice broke as she did. Natsu, once again, thought better of acknowledging this, because he understood that sometimes people need to do these things without too many concerns or questions. The blonde spent a few more moments looking at the portrait before finally turning to him.

"We should probably go." She said, "I don't want to be late-"

"Now? But we haven't even eaten yet." Natsu replied as he followed her to the living room.

Lucy looked at him as if he spoke a foreign language, "We don't have time for that-"

"Look," He exclaimed, grabbing the clock off the side table, "We still have thirty minutes!"

"It'll take at least fifteen to get school, because we can't drive. Because _you_ get motion sickness," She said accusingly, "And I wanted to talk to Mr. Wakaba before class-"

"C'mon," Natsu pleaded, "We'll get to school on time. Breakfast is just the most important meal of the day— Look, I'll even make it!"

"Fine," Lucy sighed, unsure why she was caving, "Just make it quick."

Natsu grinned, running into the kitchen before Lucy could explain what food items she had stocked, but she supposed this may save them some time; however, the constant bursts of sound made her rethink this as Natsu apparently rummaged through every drawer and cupboard she had. The possibility that he was going to trash her kitchen or even burn it down became a very real possibility. Before she could intervene, however, Natsu suddenly emerged, carrying two bowls. He proudly placed one of these bowls in Lucy's hands, and she looked up at him skeptically.

"Cereal, seriously? That's why you made all that noise?"

"Hey, this isn't just any cereal," He explained, "It's 'Natsu's _special_ cereal.'"

"Special, huh?" Lucy chuckled, scooping a spoonful into her mouth. She made a strange moaning sound.

"I know it's good, right?"

"_So_ good. What's in this?"

"Eh—some Fruity Pebbles, Crunch Berries, and Lucky Charms—just the marshmallows. That's what took so long."

"This is amazing!" Lucy said, scarfing down the bowl.

Natsu chuckled, "Think of it as thanks for letting me stay over last night."

"Honestly, it was pretty nice not to be alone for once." Lucy said offhandedly. Realizing what she said, she added, "I just mean, my dad's out of town a lot."

"Yeah, sure." Natsu replied, once again not pressing the matter further, and Lucy had to be grateful; she wondered when she could ever stop owing this boy. Shaking her head of this thought, she quickly changed the subject.

"I forgot to ask yesterday, how'd asking out Lisanna go?"

Natsu shrugged, "I asked her out to a movie. She wanted to invite everyone. Ya' know, make it a 'group' thing instead of a 'me and her' thing."

"Well, that explains the text she sent me yesterday." Lucy said nonchalantly, "Wait—we forgot to go last night! I told her I would, but that whole Minerva thing got in the way." She then faced the pink haired boy, "I'm so sorry, Natsu! I made you miss your first date with Lisanna."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't a date." He said matter-of-factly; although, his serious tone was soon replaced with a more characteristic grin, "I had more fun with you anyway, Luce."

The blonde suddenly felt flustered, "Yeah, well, what's with the whole 'Luce' thing?"

"What? You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that. I was just asking what's with the nickname all of a sudden."

"I don't know." Natsu shrugged, "It's like- I just feel it when I look at you."

Lucy suddenly slammed her bowl down on the coffee table, "Stop saying things like that!"

"W—What? Why?" He asked, feeling a wave of confusion overcome him.

"Because people will think we—that we're—Ugh—We're not even friends, Natsu! Don't you get it?! We're not anything to each other! We're just keeping our ends of the deal! After that, we're—we can-" Lucy tried desperately to finish her sentence, but for some reason, she simply couldn't.

"Fine!" Natsu said irritably, crossing his arms over his chest and pointedly looking away from the blonde. Immediately, Lucy felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Natsu. I-I didn't mean that."

The pink haired boy turned to her slowly- hesitantly, but upon seeing her face and how remorseful she looked, he released a breath.

"I know. It's just…" He shook his head slightly, "I know."

Lucy gave him a half-hearted smile, "You should _never_ listen to anything I say." She looked away guiltily, "I know I don't."

"But that's the thing; I like to listen to everything you say, Luce." He said sincerely, causing the blonde to feel flustered yet again, and she immediately put her effort into not snapping at the boy, having no idea what was compelling her to do so.

"Yeah, well…" She said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the boy, and he simply watched her curiously, slowly returning to his bowl of cereal. Lucy's eyes, still looking away from him, flickered over the nearby clock, prompting the blonde to immediately jump off the couch.

"We're late!" She exclaimed, scrambling towards the door, only to realize that she wasn't wearing any shoes. Desperately, the blonde ran circles around the room trying to locate them. Suddenly, Lucy realized that she didn't have her bag either, and she began to run in the opposite direction as she looked for it. Natsu watched the spectacle, but felt his neck hurt after a few minutes; it was exhausting just to watch.

"I'm late?! I've never been late before! What do I do?! Oh, god, what's going to happen to me?!" She said hysterically; hands gripping her roots in frustration as she frantically searched the room. Suddenly, Lucy felt a pair of warm arms encircle her waist; they pulled her back so that she fell awkwardly onto Natsu's lap.

"Lucy, stop!" He exclaimed as she tried to wriggle out of his grip.

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you calm down!"

"I don't need calm! I need to go! I need to find my shoes-"

"Your shoes are right here by the couch!" Natsu exclaimed, and the blonde's eyes moved to the edge of the couch where her shoes were lined neatly on the carpet just as he said.

"But my bag!"

"Right by your shoes." He replied, and sure enough, there it was. Lucy looked at her items in disbelief before pathetically slumping her body in defeat.

"You done freaking out then?" Natsu asked her, and she released a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm done."

Seemingly satisfied with this response, Natsu finally released her, and the blonde immediately leapt up, frantically grabbing her items, "We have to go! We're so late-"

Natsu looked at her disapprovingly, extending his arms, "Luce-"

"I'm calm! I promise!" She told him, "I—We—Let's just go!"

She grabbed the boy's arm, roughly tugging him out of the house, and by the time they reached their school campus, Lucy was practically dragging Natsu down the hall. Much to his relief, she released her hold on him right outside their classroom; however he looked at the blonde in confusion as she stared at the door hesitantly rather than rush in as he expected her to. Natsu simply shrugged at this, reaching to open the door; he was used to being late after all. Suddenly, Lucy's hand covered his, effectively stopping this movement, and she shook her head as if to say 'not yet.' His confusion grew at the action, but this quickly turned into annoyance as she proceeded to straighten out her uniform.

"Geez, for someone who's so worried about being late, you're really taking your time."

"Shut it, Natsu! It's important to be presentable." Lucy retorted; although, she immediately stopped grooming herself, "You know, it wouldn't hurt you to straighten up."

Natsu looked at her incredulously, "What's wrong with my look now?!"

"Nothing, if you like looking like you just rolled out of bed!"

"Hey, that's my aesthetic! We agreed on that!"

"No, I said we'd talk about it later!"

"Well, this seems like a _great_ time!" Natsu retorted, and the pair continued to bicker as they walked into the classroom, stopping instantly at the sight before them.

For some reason or another, the classroom was almost completely empty—almost, because settled on a desk in the corner of the classroom was a sight that caused Lucy to immediately blush. Natsu, on the other hand, stared on in complete shock, and he briefly wondered if this was some sort of prank. Of course, it wasn't, and the pair continued to watch in stunned silence as the display continued. There was absolutely no room for innuendo or misunderstandings, because Erza and Jellal were kissing—and rather heavily at that. Lucy turned to Natsu awkwardly as if to say 'let's get out of here,' and he nodded his agreement.

"Maybe we should come back later!" He practically yelled, and Lucy immediately face-palmed. There went any chance of leaving unnoticed. Meanwhile, Erza and Jellal jumped apart at the sound, awkwardly turning to face them, and for what seemed like an eternity, the four stood in complete silence. Natsu and Lucy for fear of what Erza would do to them, and Erza and Jellal trying to determine how much the others had seen. Finally, the redhead straightened out the pleats of her skirt and took a step toward the pair.

"Natsu. Lucy. You're late." She said disapprovingly, "What is the meaning of this?"

"We—uh—Natsu and I met up early for tutoring and –uh- lost track of time?" Lucy replied hesitantly, and the redhead appeared to nod her approval; however, a split second later, she shook her head.

"You two need to be more responsible!" She exclaimed, "This is unacceptable-"

"Unacceptable?!" Natsu exclaimed, "This isn't even your classroom!"

"Punctuality, as you both should know, is the cornerstone of our society," Erza explained, ignoring his outburst, "Moreover, both of your absences from the movie last night were noted. Tch. This sort of behavior is deplorable. As senior class president, I should give both of you detention-"

"What?! Detention?! You were the one's getting hot and heavy in here!" Natsu exclaimed. Erza remained impassive at this comment; however, Jellal appeared slightly red. Lucy, o the other hand, elbowed him sharply in the ribs, "Ow—Lucy!"

"As I was saying," Erza continued, narrowing her eyes at the boy, "I should give both of you detention; however, as your class is out on a school trip, I will be lenient."

Natsu and Lucy turned to the redhead in confusion, "School trip?"

"Mr. Clive took your class out for an extended lunch." Jellal explained.

"To reward them for ranking so high. Your absence from that is punishment enough." Erza said simply, and Natsu literally collapsed on the floor in disappointment. Lucy was close to doing the same as she considered the fact that her GPA was a component for their high class ranking. It was becoming increasingly obvious to both of them that this 'punishment' was for walking in on the pair as opposed to their tardiness.

"Now, then," Erza said authoritatively, "We do have some business to attend to-"

"More sucking face?" Natsu said without thinking, and not a second later, he clutched his stomach in pain where Erza had punched him.

"You should probably not talk for a while." Lucy said awkwardly beside him, and he simply groaned in response.

"_You_ may spend the remainder of the class period in the library." Erza said venomously, and she gave Natsu a look that prompted him to bolt out of the classroom.

"I have to leave as well, Erza." Jellal told the redhead, and he gave her such a soft look that even Lucy blushed.

"Uh, Erza," The blonde said awkwardly after he exited the room, "What's going on?"

"You said you'd volunteer for the winter carnival, right?" The redhead asked, ignoring her question completely, "I've been trying to assign everyone's tasks."

"Erza, what's going on?" Lucy repeated, covering her own stomach with her hands as if for protection, and the redhead sighed.

"You saw, Lucy. What more is there to say?" She replied, and she might as well have been talking about the weather.

"Let me see: you and Jellal were kissing. We could start there."

"That was very blunt," Erza commented, "I see Natsu is rubbing off on you."

Lucy felt a twinge of annoyance, "Don't change the subject!" And in a movement that maybe only she, as one of Erza's closest friends, could get away with, the blonde forcefully sat her down, "Look, I just need to know that you're okay with whatever's going on between you and Jellal! I mean, I assume that's why you've been going into those empty classrooms these past couple of weeks—don't think I haven't noticed- It's just not like you to keep secrets, Erza. So, I know there must be a reason, but I just- I mean, as long as that's what you want to do…"

"It's not what I want to do." Erza said quietly. Lucy turned to her in surprise.

"It's not? Is—is Jellal making you keep it a secret?"

"No, he's not, or he couldn't anyways." Erza laughed, and the blonde nodded her agreement. Then turning serious, the redhead added, "It's actually my parents."

"Your parents?" Lucy looked concerned.

"They don't exactly approve of Jellal."

"But he's such a good student, and he's on student council. I thought they'd be all over that."

"That's true, but my parents still think he's a bad influence. With his dad and all…" Erza didn't have to say anything else. It was common knowledge that Jellal's father was spending his life in prison. Of course, Jellal was a nice boy, but some people still treated him as if the situation was somehow his fault. Lucy could understand what that felt like.

"That's why you're keeping this from everyone." She said softly.

"I know it's not fair to you and Levy, but I can't risk word reaching my parents. I'm not even sure what would happen…" The redhead said, and Lucy put a comforting arm on her shoulder.

"Erza, I'm sorry you have to… Just to be with Jellal…"

"There's no need to apologize," She said, giving the blonde a small smile, "To be honest, it is rather fun sneaking around."

Lucy giggled, "Who knew Erza Scarlet had such a taste for adventure?"

The redhead laughed, patting Lucy rather roughly on the back, "Still, I'm glad you know, Lucy. There are so many things I've been wanting to tell you about this-"

"Why don't we start with how you guys got together?" Lucy asked enthusiastically, and Erza chuckled.

"Well, Jellal and I were working late for student council one evening. We both reached for a stack of papers at the same time, so our hands grazed each other's. And I suddenly realized that I didn't want to move my hand. It took a few more minute for me to realize that he hadn't moved his hand either. Before I knew it, we were kissing, and it—it just felt right."

"That's so romantic." Lucy said dreamily.

Erza smiled, "It's strange. I think I had feelings for him long before I realized. It's like I just woke up one day and realized I could not imagine my life without him- I couldn't imagine not having him around. It is hard at times, and I know a lot of people wouldn't understand. It's just-" Erza seemed completely unlike herself and uncharacteristically groped for the right word.

"Erza, I understand," Lucy assured her, "Your secret's safe with me—And I'll make sure that Natsu doesn't blab either."

The redhead gave her a grateful look, and Lucy simply nodded in response.

"Well, I have a lot of work to do." Erza said, returning to her business like persona, "There's still so many arrangements to be made for the carnival. You can help if you like."

"Uh—I'm okay." Lucy responded. The winter carnival was something that Erza spent the whole year planning; it was like her baby, and Lucy was not about to risk the redhead's fury if she were to make a mistake.

"Very, well," She said, shuffling through her papers, and suddenly, she turned to the blonde with concern, "By the way, Lucy, I've been meaning to speak with you about the tutoring."

"Uh—what about it?"

"Just try not to meet up with Natsu too late. Last night some delinquents completely vandalized Minerva Orlando's home, so be careful."

"R-right." Lucy said awkwardly, walking slowly out of the classroom, "I'll—uh—I'll look out for delinquents and stuff."

"That's all I ask." Erza smiled, "Now get to tutoring. It doesn't pay to neglect your duties."

Lucy laughed nervously as she left the classroom, burying her face in her hands and desperately hoping that the redhead would never figure out that 'her duties' were directly responsible for the vandalism the night before.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And thanks to those who reviewed! You keep me going! Anyways, I will update soon. Let me know your thoughts on the story so far:)<strong>


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